Ruling From Afar
by linzackles
Summary: It has been two years since Klaus and Caroline have split ways -he is in New Orleans while she is leading her 'normal human life' at college. But Klaus needs her expertise and as willing as she is to give it, she has to wonder... will she forever be content to rule only from afar? Canon-compliant drabble written post-4x23.


This is just something I randomly wrote and posted on Tumblr one day.

One-shot drabble, mostly because it's probably the last 100% canon-compliant fanfic I ever want to write thanks to the baby fiasco.

In case it's not clear, this takes place about 2 years in the future.

Hope you like

Caroline tapped her finger to her phone to re-play the video.

She watched the little blonde boy bop up and down, smiling. He had his father's dimples.

A brief glimpse of his mother before an interruption in the video.

It picked back up again jerkily.

"Caro!"

She smiled. She tapped her finger to her phone again.

"Caro!"

He was beautiful. Despite his 2 years of age, William already reminded her of Klaus. His eyes were identical to those of the Original Hybrid's.

But they could not shift into gold. No teeth would emerge from his gums. His chubby fists bore no more power than an ordinary baby's. For all intents and purposes, Klaus' child was human. He had the werewolf gene, of course. But Klaus was dead set on never letting his son activate it. He would teach William to rule in a way that needed no force. He would teach him the art of always being ten steps ahead.

Caroline was well aware of anything that happened in New Orleans. Sometimes she felt like she was studying Vampire Hierarchy 101. After a long night of pretend socialising and a shorter but infinitely more boring scheming meeting with the witches, Klaus would call her and they would work on their own plan together.

Caroline didn't trust the witches any more than Klaus did. To the witches he had become the wild card, who randomly put their carefully arranged plans at risk. Unbeknownst to them, he _was_ following a plan. His and Caroline's. And that plan would have Klaus becoming the undisputed leader very soon. He would reign over the witches and Marcel.

After their planning they would spend a few more hours discussing everything else. He would usually hang up with a lingering joke about how she was ruling from afar.

Her phone beeped.

_I miss you._

It was something he didn't say often. That and videos of William were rarities. He instinctively seemed to know that these gestures often upset her.

He had done this to them and he went to great lengths to avoid rubbing it in her face.

Like with the video. Hayley had entered the frame. He must have paused it, asked her to leave and then resumed recording, hence the jerking.

But Caroline was not a hypocrite. She knew this was not all Klaus' fault. If she had known then what she knew now or _just had not been so damn stubborn_… there would be no Hayley.

But she pressed her finger onto the little arrow again.

"Caro!"

It had been William's third word. Klaus had relentlessly taught it to him.

_William. _

Her father's name.

Perhaps it was the distance that gave her this illusion, but she felt closer to this boy than she imagined his mother did.

Of course she could not know for sure. She had not been to New Orleans. She had never showed up at Klaus' door like he had predicted she would. No, she was here at college.

In her stupid dorm room…

The door banged open and Elena breezed in, looking shocked to see Caroline there.

"Care! What are you doing here?"

Caroline snuck her phone beneath her cardigan. "What do you mean? Where else would I be?"

Elena frowned. "Don't you know? Lisa is doing some rally thing. I think she's trying to oust you."

"That bitch!" Caroline huffed. "She's trying to steal my cheer squad!"

"I thought you'd be there, protecting your throne."

Caroline formed fists with her hands, then took a deep breath. "Gah, it's probably too late to show up now and put her in her place now! How many people showed up?"

"Quite a few. But I heard some asking about you." Elena shrugged. "I don't think they'll support her. You deserve this."

Caroline was smiling gratefully for the words of solidarity when she realised Elena was pulling on heels and exchanging her cardigan for a leather jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"Not sure. Damon's picking me up. I'll be back for our class tomorrow morning… Probably," Elena winked, and just like that was out the door.

Caroline huffed again. She felt like everyone was moving on with their lives and all she had was school. She was in a semi-relationship with a guy who lived miles away. When had her life become this?

_A small-town life – it won't be enough for you. _

Again she tapped her phone. This time she paused the video as soon as Hayley's face appeared.

She stared at the woman who was living the life she could have right now.

_I thought you'd be there, protecting your throne, _Elena's voice echoed in her head.

Caroline hopped off her bed and walked over to the mirror. She looked at Hayley's blurred face in the video, then back at the mirror.

_You deserve this._

She narrowed her eyes at her reflection. "_I_ want to be Queen."


End file.
